Silence
by Gemini Artemis
Summary: [Translation, going through revision] The demons are free. Jackie Chan has been defeated and the Netherworld destroyed. What will happen now? The final battle will be decided in a city that will soon sink into silence.


**T/N:** This fic was written by **Darkness,** a.k.a. **Ankoku1**. It was originally in Spanish and entitled _Silencio_. I have translated and posted it here with her permission. At the moment, I'm revising it, correcting grammar, typos, etc. I'll also remove the lyrics when I'm done, since they're now against the site's rules.

I hope you like this brilliant story as much as I do!

**SILENCE**

By: Darkness

Fic inspired by "**_Jackie Chan Adventures_**": What would happen if... the demons broke free and the Netherworld was destroyed? Read it here – do not expect much coherence.

**_Brother, my brother_**

Electricity lights his brain. Voltage. Current. Flash of lightning. The fire of the sky. There is power in him. His power. The power of Tchang Zu, the thunder demon.

The objective was to cause as much damage as possible; to knock down, destroy, slaughter, and create a new empire from the ruins. Destroy first to build later.

Electricity. His body's gift. He loved the spectacle, loved how the clouds gathered above him, obeying his will; the little Hsi Wu was the lord of the sky? He did not believe it. He raised one hand and his claws glowed when summoning electricity that rose to the clouds, spread through the city, lighting it up with magnetic channels. He smiled as he lowered his hand. A rumble shook the earth and set fire to the sky.

Oh, yes! He was the true lord of the sky.

The smell of human horror and despair flooded the atmosphere. Ahhh! He could not enjoy it in the Netherworld; now his immortality was worthwhile again.

Terror! He and his siblings would bring terror back! Let the mortals run away; there is nowhere to hide. Let them try to escape; there is no way to do it. Let them writhe in agony; there will be nothing else left for them. The age of Terror starts here! The demons' era!

Tchang Zu continued his fateful lightning orchestra, while the smile of sharp teeth deformed his face. With the Netherworld destroyed, the chi wizard no longer meant anything... Chan? Jackie Chan? The pathetic mortal who tried to ruin his plans? He was already history. He was still alive, for the moment. The thunder demon had defeated him and Jackie was there, behind him, in agony; but he would not deprive him of life, no, no, no... not yet. First, he would make him suffer, scorn his soul; he would show him the slow and painful death of his beloved relatives. He would teach it especially to the girl. Yes! He could imagine Chan begging him mercy for the fragile creature, mercy that would be denied. He would sneer at his efforts... and then there would be physical damage...

That would be his revenge, which would mark his final victory.

**_Tell me, what are we are fighting for?_**

**_We've got to end this war_**

The darkness of the night had never seemed so terrifying, neither the rumble of the thunder nor the men's screams had oppressed her chest like this, as if the deaths she had caused earlier were weighing upon her soul, protesting a fragment of it. And that scared her. Starting to notice things as a mere mortal was something new and so strange... How she wished Tso Lan was here with her! The moon demon always had an useful piece of advice and his calm presence only tranquilized the atmosphere. Even Tchang Zu forced himself to diminish his ire.

Bai Tsa finally saw the highest point of the building. She raised her hand to grab the edge of the terrace, then climbed up. She was still in her human form so she wouldn't attract her oldest brother's attention too quickly. She drew from her clothes the only weapon that could kill an immortal being.

The Dagger of the Gods, which had killed all the gods of the Olympus in the ancient times.

But she would not kill her siblings. She could not betray them just like that, at least not Tchang Zu. Shendu was an idiot, she couldn't care less if she would ever see him again. Dare treat YOUR mortal that way! Bai Tsa was very possessive of her things, more so than Hsi Wu or even Shendu.

She slithered towards Jackie Chan and placed the dagger next to him, expecting him to wake up and put an end to this stupid battle at once. She glanced around, until she saw her mortal, Valmont. Just when she reached out for him, she felt the strong shock of an electric current.

**_Oh, can't we just pretend_**

**_This war never began? _**

Dai Gui liked it when the earth spoke to him, and liked it even more when it sang to him. The song of the faithful, explored, violated, and generous earth was the most beautiful song he had ever heard in his life; much more beautiful than Bai Tsa's songs, and she was very gifted for music.

The earth demon was not the most intelligent, the fastest, the biggest, or the strongest of the eight siblings, but he appreciated his element enough to know that what he did was not the best. Causing tremors and earthquakes so that the human resistance army would stopped advancing, decimating soldiers – and civilians – with tremors that knocked buildings on them, destroying cities, it all just made the earth cry. And the earth let him know that by singing to him. Mankind, with its hatred and wars, has made it sick, stolen its treasures, profaned its entrails with machines, humiliated its surface with waste, scorned what it kindly offered them... but the earth still loved them – those ungrateful bastards, Dai Gui thought – and what it wanted the least was a blood bath.

Dai Gui could understand that.

He could enjoy destruction, be as cruel as his siblings, and wish for an underground empire. In fact, he sometimes used to whisper to the earth that it should rebel against the human madness and greed that had killed all the beauty of its surface... but he now understood that was not the solution. It would do no good to just destroy humanity – endless source of suffering for the earth – because, sooner or later, other beings would come to make it cry. He himself has become one of those beings, which displeased him deeply.

But what could he do against Tchang Zu? The thunder demon was the strongest and the oldest of his seven siblings, therefore their leader. And Dai Gui did not have the conviction to abandon everything like Tso Lan, or the courage to disobey orders like Bai Tsa, or at least the impertinence of youth like Hsi Wu. What could he do other than follow orders?

**_We can try, brother, my brother_**

**_We face each other from different sides_**

Xiao Fung blew and his blow became a tornado that hit the last human airplanes, he was not going to allow them to use their weapons against his siblings, but watched in disillusion how Tchang Zu, Dai Gui and Shendu destroyed the city. Disillusion because he liked to have a good time and San Francisco seemed to be an entertaining city...

He leaped from a building to another, wondering why the thunders had suddenly ceased. Had something happened to Tchang Zu? He hoped not... even though a part of him hoped so. A battle started inside him; a battle between his loyalty to Tchang Zu and the alternative that Hsi Wu offered. The young demon had talked to him, saying this sterile fight was not necessary, because in the war there is not a winner or a loser, only victims -Xiao Funf smiled, sometimes Hsi Wu spoke like Tso Lan; How the sky demon had changed!-, that they could have a peaceful life with the human beings, mixing with them, discovering how different this new worlds... The wind demon had curiosity. He wanted to know how the human beings had changed during the centuries the demons had stayed in the Netherworld, to know more about their technology, to travel around the world and enjoy life! The difference between his siblings and himself did not matter to stay in his human form, but if he told it to his siblings they would mock him.

Turned to jump again, his amphibian body provided him great advantages. He decided he would accept whatever happened: if Tchang Zu was defeated, then he would join Hsi Wu to live among the humans -which meant amusement all the time-; if Tchang Zu won, then he would follow him in his new kingdom and would have his own empire to enjoy the massacres again... after all, he had already done his part, which the thunder demon had ordered him and Po Kong: to destroy the Europe.

**_The anger burns, can't remember why_**

Shendu got off the girl who was clinging frenetically to his back. He could feel her little hands inside his flesh, searching for his talismans. The other mortals trying to rob him also attracted his attention. What did they intend to get with this? Take his 12 talismans to turn him into a statue? Fools! Pathetic! Scum!

He had had a hard time to free his siblings, and it was fault of one of THESE humans. Jackie Chan. Only the name made his blood boil. He did not know how, but he had to get the mortal. To use all his anger, to make of Jackie Chan what he pleased. He would do it somehow.

**_It's kind of crazy to cause such pain_**

Jade felt nauseas. The smell of blood and sulfur of the dragon messed up her stomach. What happened to her natural joviality and bravery? It was as if they had disappeared suddenly. Maybe it was the depression and the despair that caused to her the night of black clouds, or the strong winds, or the cemetery of tanks, cars and military weapons in the street, or the frameworks of the building in flames or everything together.

Where was her uncle Jackie? Why the thunders stopped, then continued and now stopped again? Did something go wrong? Did Jackie... fail? She couldn't believe it. What would happen to everyone if he failed? Would the world belong to the demons? Would it begin an obscure century, just like Tso Lan informed before going away?

Jade could not hold on any longer and vomited.

Did everything end like this? All her dreams, hopes and desires? Only in vomit?

**_We watch our world fall apart_**

The fire demon hit the man with mask against the ground. He would have destroyed him if the woman called Viper had not robbed another talisman. They would show them the serious mistake they were making!

- From the dreadful mouths of the hell.- The dragon roared.- I summon you, burning lava!.-

Before his opponents' surprised eyes, the earth broke and slowly lava sprang of it. Shendu smirked, his spell worked. That was a talent of his that not even Tchang Zu knew. He remembered with pleasure his surprised face when the fire demon began to wake up sleeping volcanoes. The lava obeyed his will in the same way the thunders obeyed and Tchang Zu or the sea obeyed Bai Tsa.

He lifted a wave towards his opponents. But now it was Shendu's turn to be surprised. Viper got up from the ground and flew to him, hitting him with a strength that was not hers. She was using three talismans: the rooster (levitation), the rabbit (speed) and the ox (strength). He observed the other opponents; the lava did not hit El Toro Fuerte, who held in his hands the dog talisman (immortality). He felt a great blow again, which made him step back and bend. Tohru, who had climbed a building, aimed at him with the pig talisman (heat-beam eyes). How had the mortals taken from him 5 talismans? And the girl in his back had finally managed to locate another!... He abruptly turned around managing that she let go of him.

And Jade fell.

**_Tell me what good is winning_**

**_When we lose our heart? _**

Is it possible to curse a demon?

Uncle corrected the position of his glasses proceeding with the reading of the book. He was beginning to feel old and stupid, but above all, useless. Everybody he knew was there risking their lives (Jackie, Jade, Tohru, El Toro Fuerte, Paco, Viper, Black...) to stop the demons and he was in a relatively safe place, just reading.

Yes, it is possible to curse a demon.

He held his breath and followed the words of the book. In the Ancient times, the demons cursed men, turning them into demons; but the man could curse a demon and turn him into a human too, that way imprisoning him to the same laws that rule the mortal world...

**_Brother, my brother_**

**_Tell me, what are we are fighting for?_**

**_Isn't life worth so much more? _**

- If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.- Tchang Zu said while tormenting his sister's body with electric discharges.

Due to the pain, the water demon began to destabilize, until retaining her human appearance and started to get back her original form: the soft and rosy skin turned blue and scaly; the long waved hair became tentacles; the green eyes were replaced for the red glows of every demon at the same time as her legs disappeared giving place to a long mermaid tail. Bai Tsa made an effort not to cry; gathering strength to turn to her brother and throw a last blow.

The water of his sister plus his own electricity caused a short circuit in Tchang Zu. He stepped back stunned, but since electricity was his element, he did not suffer any damage. On the other hand, Bai Tsa... He had expected that betrayal from her, and was ready to punish her. He walked to one corner pf the terrace, took one of the three barrels that were there and opened it. It contained a stick and thick substance. He turned his attention to the water demon, lifted the barrel and charged at her.

- Bai Tsa.- He called. – Sometimes the only solution for the pain is the pain itself.-

**_Oh, can't we just pretend_**

**_This war never began? _**

Darkness: Incomprehensible blackness. Night without moon. Stars without hope.

That black mantle surrounded him, screaming with an incredible silence that abandoned everything, that wanted to be taken, that turned off his damn light at once! To hold him is his arms, to guide him in the calm death...

... And he was leaving himself; it was comforting, no longer there was pain, or screams, or despair. Suddenly something disturbed him; it seemed to be a... laughter?

At first, he heard it weakly, like an echo. Then it was strong and clear, so macabre that it made him tremble. Jackie made a superhuman effort to return to reality. And as a slap, the smell reached him. He took a hand to his face feeling something sticky... he opened his eyes and tried to focus the image; a black liquid. His mind immediately began to work.

"Crude oil" he thought.

He sat down without paying attention to his wounds. Before him the thunder demon was laughing, his thunders were still tormenting the city who burned in flames. Jackie tried to get up, but his legs did not answer, the pain and the fatigue were too much. He glanced around himself to find something that could help him... not very far away he saw a figure, about three meters wide, covered with petroleum. He noted movement in it, but very weak. Among the liquid he could see a white abdomen with blue tattoos... Bai Tsa! How? Shouldn't she be with Po Kong? What was happening? And what about Valmont?... Suddenly his brain gathered the thoughts, the last thing he remembered was... was...? The dagger?! Tchang Zu had hit him and the dagger dropped from his hands. Valmont had come with him to help him against the thunder demon, while Jade and the others took the talismans from Shendu. But he and the crime lord had been defeated!

He leaned his hands on the ground, but quickly removed them. He watched his left palm noting it was bleeding. What had stung him? He sought in the petroleum until finding a small and sharp object... The Dagger of the Gods! He looked at Tchang Zu. He knew what he had to do.

- I have only one concern.- He said to himself.- And if I'm not strong enough to defeat him, then who...?

**_Tell me why, brother, my brother_**

Bai Tsa knew that liquid. Valmont had called it petroleum. She did not remember his explanation about it, but remembered the sunken ship and that substance coming out from a hole. In the Ancient times she had not seen such thing that came out from a ship and spread with such speed. She tried to touch that black liquid. Serious mistake! Before even noticing, that thing had stuck to her body and spread for the marine surface, blocking the sun and involving the fishes, but it was impossible, even with her ability to switch forms. She got tired, and passed out. She had other isolated memory; seeing herself in the beach, still trapped in that liquid, the sun burning her back and drying every trace of damp in her skin...

- Laugh, Bai Tsa. - Tchang Zu said, turning his back to her.- Laugh and the world will laugh with you!.-

Why Tchang made her repeat that agony? The thunder demon knew how she had suffered that time, then why?

"Valmont" She whispered, stretching to touch his hand. "Help me".

**_We're not as different as we seem to be_**

- The demons are evil because they suffered because of evilness themselves and want to pass it to the others in an eternal revenge cycle.

Hsi Wu turned to look at her in surprise.

- Who told you that?.-

Jade smiled.

- You did.-

The sky demon shrugged. "Oh"

- But the real question is:.- Jade said. – Who told you that?.-

- Brother Tso Lan did.-

- The moon demon?.-

- Yes.-

Jade watched how the sky demon turned around. He looked so melancholic and sad. She knew the reason: farewell is not easy, not even for a demon. Hsi Wu liked Tso Lan as much as she herself liked Jackie. Hsi Wu and she cared about them. Both of them disobeyed their orders (she smiled amused when remembering how the moon demon scolded Hsi Wu when he risked his life... Jackie scolded her for the same reason...). She realized that the sky demon and she had a lot of things in common, including the impertinent character and the agile intelligence. Besides, he always listened to her.

- Thank you for saving me from Shendu.- The girl said, attracting her companion's attention.

- Don't thank me. Shendu is an idiot who wanted to universe to revolves around him.-

Another thing that she understood.-

- Do you think... Jackie is alright?.-

- I don't know.-

- I wonder if... - She swallowed, the mere though made her want to cry.- ...he was killed. Tchang Zu is very strong.-

Hsi Wu looked at her in compassion. In that moment she looked so fragile. He searched is his memory something that could comfort her.

- You know...- He finally said. - Tso Lan sometimes said that you can never consider a man to be dead before seeing his body. Because then you could make a mistake.-

The girl looked at him, raising a brow. If that was supposed to be a consolation it wasn't the most adequate, but she thanked his intention. She could not demand warm feelings from a demon.

- Let's go back.-

- Are you sure?.-

- Of course! Anyway, there are still talismans to get and an old dragon to turn into statue.-

- Then come.-

The sky demon stretched out his arms inviting her, and Jade jumped onto them, expecting that Hsi Wu hit the air with his wings and flew.

**_You don't have to be this way!_**

**_Think about the consequences_**

Jackie was sure this was the first time that Tchang Zu was seeing his own blood. He guessed it by the expression in his face, first of astonishment and then uncontainable anger.

Jackie jumped again aiming the dagger at the demon's chest, sure of his blow. Jade had said once that what made him a hero was his intelligence, his skills and his great heart... And she was right again.

The thunder demon dodged the first blow, but the second one hit the armor that covered his shoulder. The dagger touched his flesh and with one move, Chan torn the shoulder pad in two. Tchang Zu stepped back when his opponent charged at him again. He dodged it; grabbing one of his legs, gave him hundreds of volts.

Far away from there, Dai Gui stopped his underground advance and took his head (A/N: a strange kawaii mix between bull and dog) from the earth. He saw Xiao Fung in front of him.

- Hello, brother.- The wind demon greeted.

The earth demon looked at him.

- Aren't you going to reply?.-

He still did not talk.

- What?.-

- Dai Gui dislikes the silence. The earth and the city are getting silent.-

Only when someone said that, Xiao Fung realized. In this new world the noises chased the men everywhere, noises of machines, shrill music, voices that yell instead of talking. But now the contaminating noise of the city had ceased. The wind brought him some isolated sounds, almost all produced by the fire or by the thunders, but anything else. Not even one single trace of the man.

- I do not wish to continue this battle.

- Neither does Dai Gui.

- Really?.-

- Dai Gui wants to defend the earth from the mortals; but if he does so Tchang Zu will get mad at Dai Gui.-

- Get out of the ground, I don't like to talk to your head only.-

Steps.

- You hear that?.- The wind demon asked.

- Dai Gui does not hear.

Steps of someone who was in a hurry. In an alley a shadow was formed. Almost immediately a man appeared, an already old one, carrying a book and a bag.

- It's the chi wizard!.- Dai Gui exclaimed.

- Ahh, demons! O-O.- Uncle screamed taking a combat position.

- No! Wait, wizard! We will not harm you!,- Said Xiao Fung, who was aware of the old wizard's potential, and did not want to face him.

- Why trust a demon?.-

- Why not trust?.-

- Because you are treacherous, liars and destructives!.- He was silent for a moment to eye them.- One more thing! You are dirty!.-

- Hey!.- Dai Gui protested.

- One more thing! I don't have time to waste!.-

- Where are you going?.- Xiao Fung asked.

- Stop the thunder demon and save my stupid nephew! Then Uncle will cast a spell!.-

- Wait! We can take you there.-

- What?.-

**_Let's take a moment and look deep inside_**

Hsi Wu was a small demon in comparison to his siblings, not only in size but also in age. Despite the fact he was thousands years old, he still was the youngest, and that made him the most fragile, weakest and immature... that's why his siblings discharged their frustration in him, or just because they had nothing better to do once they were bored for torturing Shendu (who was only three centuries older than him).

The only one who defended him from his siblings' abuse was Tso Lan, who had undertook to teach him many things. Ok, sometimes he had treated him as bad as the others, but he did not blame him, it was his demoniac nature... which made them cruel, evil, vile and aggressive.

- There is Paco. Please, go down.- Jade asked and the demon obeyed.

Jade was different from what he had known; cheerful, optimist, impertinent, full of life. A mortal who offered her friendship even after finding out what he was... for her sake he rebelled against Tchang; for her sake he was ready to live as a human, to grow up with her. For her sake he would abandon the sky and would be chained in the ground; for her sake he repressed his wild impulses, his will of killing.

- Paco says they have eight talismans, plus two that I got, that makes ten. Only two remaining!.- The girl said cheerfully.

If there was something that Hsi Wu most admired in his older brother, the moon demon, was that he had managed to control his demoniac nature; he could be amazingly calm and did not get excited with others' blood and death... Hsi Wu wished that same control, it would be necessary for his new life...

**_It's so much more to me then what you see_**

A small, almost imperceptible touch in his hand. A call, only audible. And that voice, that touch, were enough to make him return; return to his pain, to a world that before seemed to be far away.

Valmont tried to wake up. The pain in his head and ribs seemed stronger... He did not know what was going on; the sticky touch in his cheek, the strong smell that mixed with blood and humus, the sounds of the electricity running through a body. Were his senses betraying him? ... Or was everything real? He finally opened his eyes and suppressed an exclamation before what he saw in front of him: Bai Tsa! And that liquid, petroleum! He approached her carefully, with his hands removed the petroleum from her face and neck so that she could breathe.

- You will pay for this, Jackie Chan!.- He heard Tchang Zu shouting.

And he was amazing when seeing that the thunder demon was bleeding, with several wounds in his right arm. He also saw that his armor was broken. Was Chan doing it? ... Jackie was not any better than Tchang Zu, his breath was very hard, his clothes were torn slightly burned and his hair stood on the end -though not completely-. The demon grabbed Jackie with his good arm, and with the wounded one began to form a great energy. Just when he was ready to attack him, Valmont jumped and kicked the demon in the face, managing to stop his fatal blow -that ended up hitting a skyscraper not very far away from there- and that he let go of Chan.

Jackie lost his balance when he was released, and fell from the building, screaming: Bad day!!!!!!!!.

Tchang Zu turned to face Valmont, his eyes glowing.

- You shall die.-

He approached him but could not hit him, because a strong water torrent pushed him, throwing him of the building.

**_Brother, my brother_**

**_Tell me, what are we fighting for?_**

**_Isn't life worth so much more? _**

With the dragon (explosion) on one hand and the horse (cure) in another, plus Hsi Wu's help, she attacked Shendu. The fire demon fell in the lava sea he had caused, quickly getting out to watch his youngest brother and the girl go to the other humans in the roof of a two-floored house.

Viper could not hold on anymore and fell from the roof. Jade saw in fear that there was an awful wound in her flank, approached her placing the horse talisman back to the lesion. The talismans shone and the wound was slowly healed.

- Are you all right, Jade?.- Tohru asked.

- Yes, don't worry, I'm hard to kill.-

On that exact moment Shendu appeared behind her, really furious.

- I will destroy the girl!!! AND I DON'T CARE WHAT TCHANG ZU WILL SAY ABOUT THAT!.- He threateningly approached her and breathed fire towards her.

- Jade!.- The mortals screamed, terrified.

When the fire vanished they could distinguish a winged grey figure who protected her from the flames.

- Why did you do that, Hsi Wu?.- The dragon asked angry, but the sky demon did not reply, but glanced at Jade.

- To touch, he has to face me first.- He roared, glaring at the fire demon.

- Hsi Wu.- She murmured taken aback, her heart beating in her throat.

- Don't be foolish, Hsi Wu. You know you will NEVER defeat me.-

- We shall see that.-

The sky demon charged at Shendu, hurting one of his eyes with one of his claws. He nimbly went down to his scaly skin and stuck his eyeteeth and front claws in a semi-unprotected part. Although a mortal weapon or human blow could not cause any real damage in a demon, the corporal attack from another one could indeed hurt. Shendu fell to the ground and hit his opponent, throwing him some blocks away until he reached the base of a skyscraper. Rising on his feet, he rushed to him, destroying everything he could meanwhile. Jade's team tried to follow her.

The dragon grabbed his youngest brother in his hands, smirking when Hsi Wu's eyes cracked. On that exact moment a powerful thunder hit the skyscraper, knocking it down on the two demons.

- HSI WU!!!!!.- Jade screamed when noted the tons of concrete, wood, glass and iron that buried the sky demon.

**_Tell me why! _**

The blood impeded that Jackie saw the opponent in front of him. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and focused his sight. Tchang Zu was out of his mind. The anger was eating him. Both of them had fallen from the building, it was a miracle that Jackie was still alive!

Toom, toom, toom, toom.

A strange noise attracted attention of them both.

- JACKIE!!!!.- He suddenly heard, a well-known voice, exactly from where the noise came.

A huge earth column and pavement rose, letting visible only one pair of big, large horns. And a figure...

- UNCLE!.-

If he had not seen with his own eyes, he would not have believed. Uncle was on Dai Gui's head, clinging to the demon's horns.

- The chi wizard!.- Tchang Zu said. - What's the meaning of that, Dai Gui? Shall I take it as a betrayal?.-

Dai Gui waited until Uncle went down and then dove in the earth without answering.

- That's the last straw!.- The thunder demon exclaimed.- First Tso Lan, then Hsi Wu, then Bai Tsa, now Dai Gui! They are all deserter cowards who were weakened by the time! At least O still can trust Po Kong, Shendu and Xiao Fung!.-

Jackie noticed the demon's anger again. He knew this was the last round... he did not have fear, he was a hero. But above all, many people trusted him, and he did not intend to disappoint them. The fact that Uncle was here with him gave him new strength. He surely would find a way to stop Tchang Zu, without anyone being hurt. Without the dagger, it did not last another option.

Jade ran to the rubble of the skyscraper. She hoped Hsi Wu was all right. The demon was her friend. She could have many friends but none like Hsi.

- Jade! Over here.-

- Uncle?.- The girl turned around in surprise.

- Where's Tohru?.-

- Coming with the others. Why?.-

- Because Uncle needs help!!!! One more thing! Jackie cannot stand alone against the demon.-

- Alone? Bu-

- TOHRU!!!! Right on time. Come, we have to prepare a spell.-

- Sensei?.- Tohru, who had just arrived with Viper, Paco and El Toro, took some while to store the words before following Uncle.

- I am a hero.- Jackie said dodging the electric discharges that the thunder demon threw at him.- I am a hero. I am.-

Uncle drew a deep breath, joining his palms and pointed at Tchang Zu. He was about to do something that required great concentration and an excess of magic power. That's why Tohru was helping him, Uncle could not concentrate on every detail at the same time. When he felt that the emanated power was reaching the right point, he separated his palms letting only his fingertips together. His hair and his clothes became agitated, activating his power.

- JACKIE, MOVE AWAY!.- Uncle yelled when liberating the energy blow from his hands. The magic words sounded strong and clear when the power hit Tchang Zu.

While Uncle continued the spell, Jade approached Jackie and gave him the horse talisman so that he could heal his wounds.

The thunder demon fell to the ground, a huge agony went through him, but above all a terrible headache, as if he were falling apart. What was the old man doing to him? The world began to rotate, looked to be getting bigger, bigger. Something escaped from him! The wizard was taking something from him! And he could not defend himself!... Without noticing, his skin lost the toughness turning soft and fragile, his claws as well as his eyeteeth disappeared and a dark hair sprouted on his head. They knew that the transformation was completed when Tchang Zu opened his eyes. The glowing red disappeared! Now they were deep blue with a silver shine, reminding of the clouds that were gathered above them.

Tchang Zu could feel his own weakness. It was different from whenever he had taken a human form... because now it was not his decision. The silent stare of all the mortals was in him.

- What have you done, Uncle?.- Jade asked.

- Ancient curse; the demons is not a demon anymore. Now he is a human being.-

- What did you say, old man?.- The wind demon asked from the top of a building. Jackie and the others were on guard, but Uncle gestured at them indicating it was all right.

- That he is a man. With no power forever.-

- I don't believe it.- Tchang Zu got up, denying to believe what seemed to be the truth. A simple mortal? Him? He'd rather die! He raised his hands to summon his thunders... but nothing happened. He tried again and again, but the result was always the same: nothing. He looked at his now mortal hands, the soft skin. Despair.

- What are you waiting for, Xiao Fung?- Tchang asked turning to face his brother- Help me!.-

- Sorry, brother. Neither for you nor for the mortals.-

- Agree! Who needs you?.- And charged at Jackie, who had already been recovered by the talisman and easily dodged him, hitting him in the neck from behind. The ex-demon fell to the ground out cold.

- What are we going to do with him?.- Viper asked.

- I don't know. Maybe Captain Black has an idea.- Jackie answered.

- You mean arrest him or something like that.- Paco said.

- Let's let him to decide what's the best.-

- Jackie... Uncle... - Jade started, slowly- ...Are you going to do it to all the demons?.- It ended up hard to imagine Hsi as a human, the sky demon had told her in countless occasions that he did not love anything more than his freedom to fly in the sky, that there was not a best feeling than flying, and she herself had already tried it in the demons' arms -that gave her a warm feeling of protection.- No, not being able to fly would destroy Hsi.

- We still don't know, Jade.- Jackie answered with a kind smile.

Xiao Fung landed on the ground beside El Toro. "I hope not. I promise not to cause trouble... at least not anything involving death anymore."

- Give us a good reason to trust you.- El Toro said with authority.

While a little argue between the wind demon, El Toro, Viper and Uncle about trust the demons or not started, Jackie sat in a stone and watched his surroundings and not very far away from there saw Valmont approaching, bringing in his arms a normal human version of Bai Tsa, in her skin there were still some traces of petroleum. Jackie quickly stood up and walked to them.

- What do you want, Chan?.-

- Thank you. You know, for helping me up there.-

- I let you fall from the building.-

- I wasn't on purpose... I think. Anyway, take it.- Jackie offered the horse talisman.- Heal her.-

Valmont took the talisman and placed it close to Bai Tsa, who recovered her energy.

- Jackie!.- Uncle called. - We have to put the fire out before it destroys the whole city!.-

- Like saving what remains of the city was possible.- Viper said bitterly.

- Sensei, couldn't you try a spell?.- Tohru asked.

- Uncle can NOT! Am tired because of the spell I cast in Tchang Zu!! Aiya, Uncle can not!.-

- But I could help.-

- Bai Tsa!.- They exclaimed.

- The spells involving water are my specialty.- She began to gather energy while placed her hands together on her chest and closed her eyes. Her voice tone changed, it turned smoother, more pleasant to the human ear.

- Can we trust her, sensei? After all, she is a demon.-

- Fool!- Uncle whacked him with two fingers.- The water demon will help! Let her work!.-

From Bai Tsa's body a magic energy came off and rose to the sky to mix among the dark clouds. In some seconds, it started to rain. The rain put the fire out, but the damage continued. The clouds slowly were gone, giving place to the night sky and the moonshine lightened their tired faces as well as the ruins of the city...

... And then...

...Silence.

Absolute silence.

"The worst of the sounds in a battle is the silence... because it happens before the perdition..."

Jade covered his ears. Everything seemed more terrifying like this. The silence was awful. Mortal. "Shut up" She muttered.

"Everything covers a cold mantle

made with nostalgias and desires

of what could have been and wasn't

of empty beds and dead loves."

"Shut up" She muttered again to the voice in her head.

The silence was gone.

It was replaced for a beautiful song. It did not have words, and did not need them. Its beauty was what touched the heart of the present ones and not only moved them, but also calmed them. It was a song that raised life, making them get their hope back.

Jade shook her head and glanced at everyone's faces.

Where was the song coming from?

She immediately knew. The inhuman hands on her chest, the tilted head, the still closed eyes, the hair like tentacles. Bai Tsa was singing.

Among the rubble, a stone was moved. Then another one. Soon a lot of them. From them a bat wing was lightened by the moonlight... and Jade did not need anything else to run, crying with joy.

Hsi Wu!

Jackie held Viper's hand.

Things would not be like before...

... they would be even better.

**THE END**

FINAL NOTES/EXPLANATIONS/USELESS REMARKS:

1.- This was not the last chapter of a fic and will not have a sequel.

2.- I don't like Po Kong, that's why I barely mention her

3.- The song is "Brother My Brother" by Blessed Union of Souls and not precisely goes in that order.

4.- For those who didn't understand -or want to make sure-, the suggestions of pairings are: Viper/Jackie, Jade/Hsi Wu, Bai Tsa/Valmort and Shendu/Jackie.

5.- My favorite demon is Tso Lan, that's why they talk about him so much even though he doesn't appear.

6.- Yes, I took the dagger idea from "Xena: The Warrior Princess".

7.- Is it a sin to make ecologists to the demons? –He, he-

8.- Bai Tsa has gills and not lungs, which the petroleum goes through and causes her pain when impeding her of breathing, but being an immortal demon she can't die, only feel pain.

9.- I don't know why, but Dai Gui looks cute.

10.- I don't know if Tchang Zu had that character, since I didn't watched his episode, but he seemed to be the most suitable to be a crazy villain- and turn him into a human is much better than kill him.

11.- If you read "Your sins and mine" by Taylor Caldwell, you'll understand Dai Gui more -for all the earth thing-

12- I also have no idea if the horse talisman can do what I did it to do.


End file.
